[OT] SIP Provider

Anyone got any recomendations for a SIP provider?

We don't make that many calls, so packages with 1000 UK Landline mins/month will be mostly be wasted. Useage from Nov '11 to Feb '13, averages at about 130 mins/month. Most calls are UK Landline (01,02,03) and a smattering of UK Mobile (07), International are hens teeth.

What the provider must be able to work with is my SIP box behind NAT, pretty sure this means they must have a STUN server. I get a single static IP from my ISP.

Reply to
Dave Liquorice
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I have a Sipgate account (via software on the PC) although I hardly use it because I've got a good mobile package, but you can just sign up, deposit a tenner and pay as you go, no silly packages or monthly "line rental" crap.

Just looked it up:

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calls to "normal" UK numbers are 1.19p per minute, I don't know how that compares to other SIP providers, presumably you'd need to add up what calls you'd normally make and see how much each provider would charge. I've never had any trouble with it, stable connection every time & works fine on Virgin/static IP, and uses STUN. You just log in to their website to see how much credit you've got left.

Many SIP providers (including mine) offer a free trial, so it's worth giving them a go and see if they work properly before you pay for anything.

Reply to
Mentalguy2k8

You might like to look at

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Calls to 01, 02 and 03 are 1.5p/min peak, 1.25p/min evenings and 1p/ min weekends. Most mobile numbers are 6p/min peak and evenings, 3p/min weekends.

The service including one number (which you can choose from a wide selection) costs £1.20 per month plus the cost of calls. You can have as many simultaneous calls as you like.

If you need to use NAT, ask them to put you on the A server (which uses asterisk). They have a STUN server. VoIP behind NAT is always a lottery, regardless of the provider.

See

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for their somewhat robust attitude to NAT. However, I have used the service with NAT from the UK and Switzerland in situations where the router could not be adjusted.

As you have a static ip, you might be able to set up forwarding of all inbound UDP traffic to your VoIP phone in a "DMZ" subnet and overcome most of the potential NAT issues. . Also you can lock the service down to only work from your static ip, reducing the risk of fraudulent use of your account.

I have used aaisp for a long time with few problems, albeit mostly with static ips for each phone. I have also used Gradwell very successfully, but they are a bit more expensive. They offer some services that aaisp don't, such as international numbers which can be routed to your phone or asterisk server.

John

Reply to
John Walliker

On Sunday 28 April 2013 14:36 Dave Liquorice wrote in uk.d-i-y:

SIPgate - seems very reliable (I use it for my main "home" number, with a Siemens Gigaset N300A handset plus 2 android phones using their native SIP stack).

The voicemail to email is nice too - and you can get numbers in most UK area codes.

Reply to
Tim Watts

I use sipgate for inbound and voipcheap.co.uk for outbound.

Reply to
Toby

Do you know if it would be possible to transfer a BTBroadband number to SIPgate?

Reply to
S Viemeister

On Sunday 28 April 2013 22:36 S Viemeister wrote in uk.d-i-y:

I don't think so. But you could call them.

Reply to
Tim Watts

In article ,

If it's a standard 01/02 number then it's usually possible. If it's an

056 then results vary.

However if you port the phone number associated with your broadband line then your broadband line will cease.

Gordon

Reply to
Gordon Henderson

That's very good to hear, guess what arrived in the post on Friday! Though the N300A isn't a handset it's a combined PSTN/SIP/DECT base station. I went for the a cheapy A510 handset.

It's not overly clear on the SIPGate website what voicemail comes with the "basic" rather than "team" package. Can you access (and hear messages) via the web, SIP, landline as well as getting them emailed to

you?

What is a "BT Broadband number"? Is that a SIP number provided by BT or

the phone number of the line that your BT Broadband is delivered over?

If the latter you should be able to port it SIPGate for £20(*) payable to SIPGate but when you do the landline associated with it will cease and i f that landline is carrying your broadband so will that. It should be possible to port the number, get another one allocated (£25 residentia l line number change fee payable to BT) and retain the broadband but I wouldn't like to say BT wouldn't fup it all up.

Not sure why you'd want to port just a single number though. Just get a

free SIPGate one and make your outgoing calls over SIP, incoming still come in on the "old" BT number and the landline. You should be able to set the outgoing CLI on the SIPGate number to your BT number. Tim?

(*)inc 19% VAT, 19% is the VAT rate in Germany...

Reply to
Dave Liquorice

Thanks, I suppose I'll have to do that. BT's BroadbandTalk is to be discontinued this year, and I want to keep my number.

Reply to
S Viemeister

I thought that only applied to my landline number, which I intend to keep, not BTBroadbandTalk? And yes, it's a geographic number (01847 xxx xxx).

Reply to
S Viemeister

Forgot to confirm is that N300A behind NAT?

Reply to
Dave Liquorice

yes, at sipgate.co.uk log in to your control panel yes, dial 50000 from a SIP phone registered to the account yes, dial 0207 [sic] 043 7777 or 0845 004 7777 and key your SIP ID and PIN

What sipgate doesn't do any more is send a 'message waiting' status to a SIP phone so the message-waiting light flashes.

Owain

Reply to
Owain

I am sure Gordon was referring to ceasing your POTS number on your land line (which carries your ADSL).

My recommendation for an outgoing SIP provider is voipcheap.co.uk

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Look at the rates for calls to UK landlines and mobiles compared to Sipgate.

I use Sipgate for incoming calls but a also have a DDI range 10 numbers from ukddi.com which map to the internal extensions on my Raspberry Pi based Asterisk box.

Reply to
Graham.

Interesting "free" UK landline calls up to 300 mins/week no roll over. It's not clear if those free minutes are part of/the same as the "Freedays" that you get when you top up or just something they give you

for being a customer.

Based on the last 14 months use the total call bill via VoIPCheap should be under £10, I paid £84 + VAT to BT for that period. I've not check ed if any 7 day period would have gone over 300 mins but it's not very likely

with only 2083 hrs over 60 weeks. But even then it's only 2p/min landline/mobile which make up the bulk of our calls.

Why is this ringing the "to good to be true" alarm bell?

Reply to
Dave Liquorice

The voicemail with the free account is fully fledged including the option to email the audio to you.

Reply to
Graham.

You get 60 days of freedays when you top-up a tenner (plus VAT IIRC) then the calls to UK land lines are 2p per minute, so after the 60 days you then start eating the credit slowly, then once you top-up you get another 60 days. Mobile rates are pretty good with them too :-)

Reply to
Toby

BT BroadbandTalk - a voip service from BT, included at no extra charge with BT's broadband. It's no longer available to new users, but I have it grandfathered on my account. It's being completely discontinued later this year. I find it useful, as there is no line charge, rates to the US are very cheap, evenings and weekends are free, and the softphone feature is useful when I'm away.

I have (and intend to keep) a separate landline, which is associated with my broadband.

No, I don't intend porting my landline number.

The BTBroadbandTalk number is my number for many business contacts, as I can make and _answer_ calls with it even when abroad. I've used it for years - changing it would be a hassle I'd rather avoid.

Reply to
S Viemeister

Thanks, I'll check them out, too.

Reply to
S Viemeister

I've been using voipcheap for 5 years and they seem reliable. You don't get any support and they don't seem to reliably pass CLI (through BT at any rate).

Reply to
Bill Taylor

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